Oddbird, an illustrated book on accepting folks and diversity

There is a lot for some people to like about Oddbird. It’s a charming story about fitting in and being yourself that utilizes concentrated areas of colors to drive home its point. This is an illustrated book that will really connect with some readers, all the while giving more readers the feeling that they’ve seen this story before. And they have, but every book speaks to readers in a different manner, doesn’t it? Oddbird’s grace is that it’s a very simple story that will have a direct line to pre-k through early second-grade students who want a happy, bird-centric look at being different.

Oddbird is an actual bird in the book. It’s a world populated by brightly colored birds whose plumage rivals the peacock. However, these birds are all shapes and sizes, some eyes bulge out, have plumes from their heads, long necks, short beaks, and more. Any way a bird could look, they’re there and are all very proud of their colored feathers. All of the birds gathered around the swimming pool without going into the water, even though it was a hot summer day.

All of a sudden this new bird, who looks quite odd, comes flying up. He’s a bird, like all of the others, but is lacking any semblance of color. All of the Home Depot paint splotches are represented in the other birds, but Oddbird is just gray, and a little dark gray in some spots. Oddbird flies down to his fellow flocked friends and puts his toes into the water, because, well, it’s hot. Who is this colorless bird putting their toes into our water, they ask. They promptly encourage him out of the area to which a crying Oddbird does so immediately.

Thankfully, he flies over a jungle that has a cornucopia of colored leaves for him to borrow. Oddbird lays them on top of his feathers and proceeds to fly back to the pool, because, well, it’s hot. The other birds gather around this new multi-colored friend and watch in awe as he climbs the ladder so that he can dive into the pool. When he enters the water all of his faux feathers fly off, revealing this aviary Cyrano for who he really is.

Oddbird is too comfortable in the pool to care what the others think about his near-perfect dive into the water. However, now, the group of birds has realized that the water looks very comfortable and follows his lead into the pool.

I spoke with a school librarian about Oddbird and they sang its praises. The book is obviously about diversity and accepting people (or birds…) for whomever they are. She said that she loved the fact that Oddbird tried to change himself, but went back to being himself and was accepted by others. “The more books about kids that are different, the better. It’s a subject that we see lots of in books nowadays, but I still see kids who are bullying or being jerks to those kids who aren’t in a box”, she went on to say.

This was refreshing for me to hear because the vast majority of illustrated books I see now are about diversity. It’s a trend now. We both agreed on that perspective that many of the books being released now put the message first, with the plot or art second.

For me, Oddbird is an illustrated book that firmly hits the pre-k through the first-grade crowd. Those ages will laugh at the birds, identify with Oddbird and hopefully put that lesson to heart. It’s not the best diverse book that you’ll see for those ages, but it’s cute and will hold their attention while you’re reading it.

Oddbird is by author/illustrator Derek Desierto and is available on Macmillian Publishers.

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